No. 9 Truman Moves to Second in MIAA with Win Over NW Missouri State

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Bulldog volleyball offense caught fire Friday night in front of a large crowd at Pershing Arena, and the 9th-ranked team in the nation used its efficiency to cruise to a 3-0 (-11, -10, -17) win against Northwest Missouri State. Truman hit a season-high .433 on the night, while holding the Bearcats to an .047 mark.

The Bulldogs (28-7, 15-4 MIAA) came out firing - hitting .467 in the first frame and .607 in the second - to put the pressure on the visiting Bearcats (10-23, 6-14 MIAA) early. Truman had six players record at least six kills in the three-set match, including seven from senior Allie Cherven - who surpassed the 1,000 kill mark for her career on the night. She became the 13th player in Truman history and third this season to reach the milestone.

Senior Melissa Keck led the way for all players on the evening with nine kills on just 15 attempts, while seniors Dana Hanselmann and Eli Medina combined for 15 kills and a .556 hitting percentage while committing zero errors. Hanselmann chipped in 10 digs - one behind senior Whitney Boehler's match-high 11.

Truman's two setters - freshman Kylie Easlon and sophomore Ashley Petak - finished with 22 and 15 assists respectively, and each tacked on a pair of service aces for the Bulldogs. With the win, Truman moved into sole possession of second place in the MIAA following Washburn's 3-0 loss at 6th-ranked Emporia on Friday night.

Truman's 49 kills nearly tripled the output of the visiting 'Cats (17), while the Bulldogs gone it done defensively as well, finishing with a 51-26 edge in team digs.

The Bulldogs will celebrate Senior Night on Saturday evening in a 7:00 p.m. match against Missouri Western. It will also mark the final regular season match of 2008 for Truman.